I invite you to turn with me to Romans 7. Romans 7, as we read verses 7 through 25, the end of the chapter. We have considered together last week, we finished with the Catechism's consideration of the Ten Commandments, as we have considered them one by one in Lord's Day 44. And the last two questions and answers of Lord's Day 44 kind of summarize, bring into perspective, if you will, the law of God as a whole. This morning we consider questions and answers 114 and 115 of Lord's Day 44. Let's read together Romans 7, beginning at verse 7. Hear now the Word of God. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not. Indeed, I would not have known what sin was except through the law, for I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, Do not covet. But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. Once I was alive apart from law, but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me and through the commandment put me to death. So then the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good. Did that which is good then become death to me? By no means. But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment, sin might become utterly sinful. We know that the law is spiritual. But I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do. but what I hate, I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature, for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out, for what I do is not the good I want to do, no, the evil I do not want to do, this I keep on doing. Now, if I do what I do not want to do, It is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work. When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being, I delight in God's law. But I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am. Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I myself, in my mind, am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature, a slave to the law of sin. And I also invite you to turn with me to page 56 in the back of the Psalter hymnal, to Lord's Day 44, as we recite together the answers to questions 114 and 115. Lord's Day 44, page 56 in the back of the Psalter hymnal. Question 114 asks, But can those converted to God obey these commandments perfectly? No. In this life, even the holiest have only a small beginning of this obedience. Nevertheless, with all seriousness of purpose, They do begin to live according to all, not only some, of God's commandments. No one in this life can obey the Ten Commandments perfectly. Why then does God want them preached so pointedly? First, so that the longer we live, the more we may come to know our sinfulness and the more eagerly look to Christ for forgiveness of sins and righteousness. Second, so that while praying to God for the grace of the Holy Spirit, we may never stop striving to be renewed more and more after God's image until after this life we reach our goal, perfection. Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, the catechism's treatment of the Ten Commandments ended with the explanation of the Tenth Commandment teaching us that not only are we commanded to stay away from unholy actions or deeds, not only are we to keep from or strive to keep from committing unholy actions or deeds, but we are to not even desire unholy actions or deeds in our hearts. Answer 113 included these words, if you recall. with all my heart, I should always hate sin and take pleasure in whatever is right. In other words, beloved, the whole law is perfect and it demands nothing less than perfection both inwardly and outwardly. Remember, God says, be holy. There are no qualifications there. It's not be as holy as you can be or it's not do your best to be holy or make sure that you're three-fourths holy, but simply be holy even as I, your God, am holy. But that's tough, isn't it? In fact, it's impossible for any one of us in and of ourselves. We must admit that at times we use the excuse of not being holy when we've made a mistake or done something wrong, we've gotten caught. Well, I'm not perfect, you know. What do you expect, anyway? I'm not perfect. Yet that's what God commands and calls for with His law. Perfection. That is to be our desire. Let me say that again. That is to be our desire. Perfection. But then the Catechism, true to Scripture, addresses the hard fact of that gap between the desire and the ability to be holy. And it does so as it considers the law of God and the Christian life in questions and answers 114 and 115. And with those two questions and answers, we want to consider, first of all, the matter of perfect obedience to God's law. What is it all about? What does it mean? And secondly, the necessity of instruction in God's law. Question 114 asks again, but can those converted to God obey these commandments perfectly? You see, the question here, beloved, is how do people stand over against the law of God? But notice now, in the matter of perfect obedience to God's law with regard to people, a distinction is made right in this question. But can those converted to God obey these commandments perfectly? You see, it's not even a question whether or not the unconverted, unbelievers, the natural man is able to keep the law of God perfectly. the natural man is neither able nor willing to keep the law of God. Question and answer five of the Catechism, way in the beginning of the Catechism, asks, can you live up to all this perfectly? And that's the question that comes with regard to the summary of the law. The two great commandments, to love God above all and our neighbor as ourself. And the answer, no. I have a natural tendency to hate God and my neighbor. Paul says in Romans 8, verses 7 and 8, The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. But converted people, that is, those converted to God, are different people. The difference between the converted and the unconverted, between the believer and the unbeliever, is not just church attendance or praying before meals or baptism or other convictions or certain traditions, all many of which are important. Those converted by the power of the Holy Spirit are completely new and different people. By the grace of God, converted people are changed people, raised from death to life people. They've been given a new heart of flesh, as Ezekiel says, and therefore they think and they speak and they act differently. They more and more die to sin and live to righteousness. That's the U-turn of conversion. As the Catechism talks about with respect to where it deals with conversion, the converted more and more hate sin and desire to run away from sin. And instead, they more and more find their delight in God through Christ. And with love and delight, desire to live according to the will of God. That's the converted person. Does that describe you? But notice that the catechism now does not ask if the converted actually do keep God's law perfectly. But can they? Is it possible? Are they able to? And there are some who say yes. The converted are able to keep God's law perfectly. The Methodists have taught that not only does the Christian enjoy perfection in Christ by imputation, by justification, that free gift to which we say amen. But that he also enjoys the actual, spiritual, ethical perfection of sanctification in his life. John Wesley held to this doctrine. Now, perfectionism doesn't necessarily teach that the Christian actually does keep the law of God perfectly, but that he is able to if he wants to. Yet that's not the teaching of Scripture. 1 John 1, verses 8 and 10 says, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him that is God a liar, and His Word is not in us. And Paul says in verses 14 through 21, We know that the law is spiritual, but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do. But what I hate, I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me that is in my sinful nature, for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do, no, the evil I do not want to do, this I keep on doing. Now, if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. And so I find this law at work when I want to do good. Evil is right there with me. And as well, Isaiah 64 verse 6 says, But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags. Well, then how does what these Scripture passages say, how do they fit with what we said about converted people? Those with a new heart, those with a new desires. Well, the Catechism rightly says, In this life, even the holiest have only a small beginning of this obedience. Yes, according to the grace of God, by the operation of the Holy Spirit, the Christian has been given a new heart, regenerated by the Holy Spirit, and in that heart is the seed of new life. As Peter says, the incorruptible seed. That seed is the seed of new obedience, or we could say it's the seed of perfection. Yet, it is only a seed. It is not yet the full blooming flower. The Christian has the principle of perfection in Christ Jesus, but he is not yet perfected. Yet, with the beginning is a guarantee of completion because He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. But until that time, that seed of perfection lives is in the midst of the sinful field of the flesh. In this life, the old nature indeed dies more and more according to the Spirit's sanctifying work, yet it is not completely dead. The old man is still kicking and screaming. And that's why Paul says in verse 21, So I find this law at work when I want to do good. Evil is right there with me. Beloved, our original sin that makes us totally depraved still infests and infects our whole fleshly being, our thoughts and our words and our actions. And that's why not one of us is ever perfect in this life, not even for a moment. Even when we suppress sinful thoughts or fight against sinful desires, the truth is those sinful thoughts and sinful desires, we're still there. And this is all true for the holiest of men. All believers have just a small beginning of disobedience. Of course, as human beings, we make distinctions, don't we? We observe each other, and we make distinctions one from another. There are those who appear to us to be so strong in the faith, and we admire them as godly people, and even after they die, we remember them for their fight of faith. Others, though in our sight, seem to be just limping along the Christian path. Some can only handle spiritual milk, while others can handle the meat of the Word. Some are infants in the faith while others are more mature. Some have been blessed with more of the Spirit's sanctifying power in their lives, walk in others, so that by the grace of God they fight that good fight of faith a little bit harder and they are a little bit further down the road of overcoming the operations and the power of sin. Yet, even the holiest among us has only a small beginning of disobedience. Paul, one whom we would consider to be a giant in the faith, said of himself, wretched man that I am. And he called himself the chief of sinners. Peter, the rock, said to Jesus, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man. Congregation, our worship, and our prayers, our thoughts, and our words, and our actions, all continue to need the cleansing influence of the Holy Spirit to make them acceptable to God. In this life, all there is about us continues to be touched by sin. And that's why we can only say that we have a small beginning of disobedience. Just the seed. Not even the bud before the flower blooms. Yet, one day, in the glory and the perfection of heaven, the believer's perfection will burst forth in full bloom. You see, we can't imagine that, can we? We cannot imagine that one day Every thought and word and inclination, every desire, every motive, every action will be perfect. Yet in the grace of God, we have a hint of this already in this life, which is to give us comfort because the truth of the catechism which says, nevertheless, with all seriousness of purpose, they do begin, The converted do begin to live according to all, not only some, to all of God's commandments. The difference between the converted and the unconverted is not that the unconverted commits sin and the converted don't. We've already made that clear. The difference is in the new attitude of the believer. God's people are not satisfied. They are not content in sin using the excuse, oh well, I'm not perfect anyway. A little mistake now and then, not a big deal. Instead, the converted cry out with Paul, what a wretched man I am who will rescue me from this body of death. And they cry that out because they own, as their very own, a new desire that with Paul wishes to do good. Indeed, the Christian is saddened and even angered by his sin and he desires to move forward, to do as Paul says in Philippians 3, Not that I have already attained or am already perfected, but I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. For the believer, there's no standing still. It's impossible. But filled with the Holy Spirit, He, with seriousness of purpose, as the catechism says, strives to live according to all, not only some, but all of God's commandments. Why? We need to be reminded that our piety, beloved, is not as those looking from the outside, pounding on the door to get in. We don't strive to earn our way to heaven in any way at all, but our obedience is gratitude for our adoption, having already been brought into God's family. that seed of new life means that something is living. And that which is living cannot stand still. It cannot remain stagnant. But it moves. It grows. While that which is dead indeed stands still and even decays. And that's why when John says in 1 John 3, whoever has been born of God does not sin, for his seed remains in him and he cannot sin because he has been born of God, John is saying that the one who is born of God does not continue living in gross sin, but fights against the daily. And beloved, evidence of this small beginning of obedience will be clear. It will be visible. Not because the Christian is able to or actually does keep God's law perfectly, but because that small beginning of obedience is indeed obedience. It's genuine obedience. It's sincere obedience, it's earnest obedience, and it is complete in the sense that the converted heart desires and strives to keep all of God's commandments in thought, word, and deed. Beloved, the matter of perfect obedience to God's law is that the believer has it in principle, in Christ Jesus, in this life. But it will be perfectly practiced in God's perfect heaven in the next life. Yet we are still here. And in this life, there is still the necessity of instruction in God's law. Question and answer 115 again. No one in this life can obey the Ten Commandments perfectly. Why then does God want them preached so pointedly, or as the older version says, I believe, so strictly? First, so that the longer we live, the more we may come to know our sinfulness and the more eagerly look to Christ for forgiveness of sins and righteousness. Second, so that while praying to God for the grace of the Holy Spirit, we may never stop striving to be renewed more and more after God's image until after this life we reach our goal, perfection. It's interesting how many of these same thoughts were included in the baptismal form this morning. But it's true, beloved, that many don't want to hear the law anymore. I don't need it, they say. It's so Old Testament, you see. In many churches, it's not read. It's not considered important. We read it here Sunday after Sunday or we recite it by way of responsive reading. Why do we do that? Well, we don't do it because we are better than anyone else. We don't do it because we are holier than anyone else. We do it because by the grace of God, we see the need for the law of God. But again, some say it's negative. There's so much negative in this world well, why do we need it there too? Let's have something positive. Or some say we don't need it because the Bible says that God has written His law on our hearts. And that's true, of course. But God, through Moses, emphasized the communication, the communicating of His law. As we read earlier, and these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. And how does the Holy Spirit write God's law on our heart and keep it there? What is the means, or at least one of the means he uses? Again, remember these words. You shall teach them diligently to your children. You shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorpost of your house and on your gates. That's the promise that parents make in baptism. That's the promise that Rob and Kim made this morning. For each of us that have ever had a child or our children baptized, that's the promise that we made. In essence, to speak of God's commandments when we walk, when we lie down, when we rest, that God's commandments would be over the doorpost of our house. That our house would be a place where the commandments of God are taught and also observed. That's the promise that you made this morning. That's the promise that many of us have made. As we have considered the Ten Commandments one by one, our Lord Jesus Christ opened up for us as we studied them, opened up for us the deeper meaning of the law. And He never ever left us with the idea that we no longer needed to read or study the law. Just the very opposite. He gave us further reason and need to study it. Answer 115 gives us three reasons why the law of God must be so strictly preached. Now, those of you who are observant will notice there are only two parts to that answer. First and second. But I believe that there is a third thing in there that we need to stop and consider. We might call this the three-fold fruit of preaching the law. And the first is that preaching the law must have the fruit that it deepens our knowledge of sin. Now, here again we might say, you've got to be kidding. I hate my sin. Why do I want to have a deeper knowledge of my sin? Yet the truth is our toes must be stepped on by the preaching of the law. Each one of us should cry, ouch, when we are forced to look into the mirror of God's holy law. That's a good thing. It's a good thing. The more we grow in grace, the more we recognize our sin and misery. The two go together. They cannot be separated. So if you are not recognizing your sin and misery more and more, then the sad truth is you are not growing in grace. Romans 3 verse 20 says, Through the law comes the knowledge of sin. Even at times, beloved, coming to recognize as sin that which we didn't recognize before. Habits, things that we have always done, things that we have always said that we had no problem with. We didn't think there was anything wrong with. but then the Spirit comes along and cuts to the heart as we consider His law and helps us to see that these things that we have said or done that we had no problem with, you know what? These things violate the law of God. And instead of fighting against that and trying to find justification to keep on going to do and to say these things, we are to stop. We are to be obedient. You see, that's part of sanctification. Boys and girls, you can't change what you're doing wrong if you don't know that you're doing wrong. And understanding our sin and misery more and more does not mean that we are more wicked. We're already totally depraved by nature, remember? But with this knowledge, the Christian clings ever more tightly to the mercy of God. You see, God's mercy is only meaningful against the backdrop of our misery. Yet there's no misery. There's no mercy needed. And causing us to be more and more humbled because of a greater knowledge of our sin is not some sort of a cruel game on God's part, but it's a part of His amazing grace. You see, through this, He draws us closer to Himself and His Christ so that as the Catechism says, we the more eagerly look to Christ for forgiveness of sins and righteousness. We more eagerly look to Him. You see, if our sin and misery is not held before us, Satan will see to it that we forget our need for Christ and that we begin to rely on our own goodness. Christ's love is meaningless apart from sin. And His cross, apart from sin, is for nothing. Through the law, the cross of Christ becomes more and more precious to us and daily more and more we seek refuge only in the blood of Christ. Galatians 3 verse 24 says, Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. The more that we truly know ourselves, the more we know our need for a Savior. And only then will we see that the good that we do is Christ in us. And therefore, beloved, the law is to be preached as a rule of gratitude for the forgiveness that we needed and indeed have through Jesus Christ. And the second fruit of preaching the law so strictly or so pointedly then is that we pray to God for the grace of the Holy Spirit. Now that comes as a comment in the part that says second, while praying to God for the grace of the Holy Spirit. And I think that we need to stop here and consider this and consider the fact that that's something we need to do. We are to pray to God for the grace of the Holy Spirit. Our desire is to be to enjoy the fruit of sanctification, which only comes by the work of the Holy Spirit. God's law holds before us His perfect way, His way of holiness. It teaches us what the old man is to put off, what the new man is to put on, and therefore we are given the desire for perfection to fight the battle of fate to the very end. the Christian increasingly resolves to walk in all good works yet realizes that he is powerless in himself to do so. And by the grace of the Holy Spirit he realizes as Jesus says for without me you can do nothing. And our daily prayer is to be that the Holy Spirit would renew us more and more in the image of God and that He would give us His strength and grace to be more obedient today than yesterday in thought, in word, and in deed, so that my speech would indeed be wholesome and true, that my actions would be selfless, that my thoughts would be pleasing to God. You see, to have the renewal of life in the image of God is the beauty of redemption. And the preaching of the law is to produce in the heart of the Christian then the third fruit, which is the hope of that perfection in the life to come. As the Catechism says, to be renewed more and more after God's image until after this life we reach our goal, perfection. The law of God, beloved, shows us the sin which has deformed and damaged and severely tarnished the image of God in us. But for the sake of Jesus, the Holy Spirit recreates and polishes that image of God in His people so that one day Christ will present His people, His children, without spot or wrinkle, present His bride perfect to the Father. That's the crown of redemption, which is our living hope. And therefore, the law of God is to be preached for the benefit of our eternal assurance. Congregation, those who reject the law of God reject the Christ who has earned salvation for His people by His active obedience to the law and His passive obedience all the way to death on the cross. He says to His people, I have been holy for you. And those who reject the law of God and are oblivious to their sin and misery, they are also oblivious. They just don't see their need for a Savior. They are blinded to it. And therefore, the mirror of God's law must be held up before sinners that by the grace of God they might recognize their body of death and their need to be delivered. God's law is to drive us to the Savior in His mercy and in His grace for deliverance. And our comfort is, as the psalmist says, there is forgiveness with God that He may be feared. And for those who are converted by the grace of God, that mirror must be held up continually before our face so that we might constantly be reminded of where our holiness comes from And therefore, the place of the law of God in the Christian life is a rule of gratitude, demonstrating thankful obedience to God for showing me my sin, for driving me to the Savior, and enabling me to render to Him a small beginning of obedience. And what will the Christian's attitude be toward the law of God? As the psalmist says, Oh, how I love thy law. It is my meditation all the day. Because the precepts of the Lord are sweeter than honey. Why would the believer say that? Not because God's law itself is my way of salvation. Only Jesus is the way. I love the law of God because in Christ, God binds me, His redeemed child, He binds me to His holiness through His law. I love the law of God because through His law He shows me my earnest need and lifts my eyes to Jesus the Savior in whom I am holy. Even as God is holy. Beloved, we are called to seek first God's kingdom and His righteousness. His righteousness demonstrated in His holy law. Of course, by nature, we will seek anything but His kingdom and righteousness. But because of the renewing power of the Holy Spirit and His work of sanctification, He sets our eyes on the course that God has placed before His people. He gives believers the desire to live according to all of God's commandments. Yet when we fail and fall, which we do and we will, our comfort is that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. How can we be so sure of this? Because Jesus Christ, our Lord, has set us free from this body of death to live in the holiness of God. Congregation, what a reason to give thanks to God through obedience to His law. Shall we pray? Father, may it be that the words in our lips are, Oh, how I love Your law, for it is my meditation all the day. When so many see Your law as burdensome, as a law that takes away freedom, help us more and more every day to see that truly Your law is liberating. Those who do not conform to Your law are the ones who are in bondage. knowledge to sin, but you have given your people and shown your people the way to be free as you have made us to be free in your image and in your likeness to do that which is pleasing to you. Father, may it be that as we grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, that more and more we might look at your law differently than we ever have before, that we might see it as a delight, and not something that holds us back, but something that promotes our spiritual life for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. In His name alone we pray. Amen.